Waukesha commission to draft opposition to proposed National Register boundary decrease for Blair House

The Waukesha City Landmarks Commission voted to authorize drafting a letter opposing a proposed boundary decrease to the National Register listing for the Senator William and Henrietta Blair House.

The decision followed a staff presentation and extended public comment about errors in earlier boundary documentation and about how removing the lower portion of the parcel would affect the historic setting and view from the Blair House. Charlie, the commission staff member, told commissioners the application prepared by Cultural Resources Management and submitted to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) will be reviewed by the State Historic Preservation Review Board on Feb. 21, 2025. "It will be reviewed by the State Historic Preservation Review Board on, at their meeting on 02/21/2025," Charlie said.

Why it matters: owners and local historians said the lower slope and its view over downtown contribute to the property's significance and that earlier nomination maps and legal descriptions contain errors. Bob Salp, a nearby resident, told the commission, "Those housing units and that apartment complex is gonna basically destroy that view from the historic Blair House." Lisa, an architect and owner at 434 Madison Street, presented historic maps, survey notes and building details and argued the 1983 nomination and district documentation misidentified a section line as a rear lot line and omitted architectural details and a second period of significance.

What staff said: Charlie reviewed National Park Service and SHPO guidance for adjusting National Register boundaries, which list professional error and loss of integrity among the factors that can justify a revision. He showed aerial photos and maps indicating the lower portion of the city-owned adjacent parcel has functioned as a parking lot since the 1960s and said the application describes the earlier boundary imprecisely: the nomination's legal sketch estimated the area as less than 1 acre while the 1983 approximate boundary covers roughly 1.87 acres. "If peripheral areas no longer retain integrity due to alterations in physical condition or setting caused by human forces, they should not be included," Charlie said during his presentation.

Commission debate and action: commissioners questioned whether the parking lot and other alterations removed integrity from the lower portion and whether the remaining hillside and historic view remain contributing features. Some commissioners said removing asphalt and restoring the slope could return setting to a more historic condition; others emphasized that legal descriptions and current certified survey maps must be respected. After discussion the commission reached an informal consensus to oppose the boundary decrease and assigned a volunteer to draft the commission's letter. Matt Retzak moved that the Landmarks Commission draft an opposition letter; Aaron Spencer seconded. The motion passed with assent from those present.

Next steps: the commission asked for the draft a week before the January meeting so the item can appear on the January agenda for formal approval; the mayor will transmit the commission's statement to SHPO along with his own opinion. The SHPO review board's meeting is scheduled for Feb. 21, 2025, when the State Historic Preservation Review Board will consider the boundary adjustment application.